The warm white glow outlining the structures of Rockwell at night is signaling the end of the semester. Pretty soon, first sem finals will be over — which only means that Christmas is just around the corner!

For most of us, this means coming home to our families and catching up on our sleep and binge-watching backlogs. But for the Ateneo Law School Choir, the Christmas “break” will have to wait just a little bit longer as this is the org’s busiest, but also most wonderful, time of the year.

On the second and third weeks of every December, the ALS Choir carols to law firms and serves in Simbang Gabi. For a choir member, there’s no better feeling than to be singing alongside your chosen family and spreading the Christmas joy.

But this is no easy feat, as the ALS Choir practices several months in advance for these events. Amid the unforgiving law school grind, the choir members sacrifice multiple nights a week just to get their notes, quality, and dynamics right. If you went to the Saturday Barops in EDSA Shang, you’ve probably even seen them take their practices there. But they don’t mind, as singing with their best friends is just a fun and an effective break from all the readings.

Caroling is not only the main fundraising project of the Choir, but is also a way for the choir members to peek into their possible futures. The Choir usually guests in the Christmas parties of law firms and courts, such as ACCRALAW and the Sandiganbayan. They also get to meet some of the lawyers there.

Sometimes, there is even a spark of school rivalry. Last year, the ALS Choir caroled on the same day and place with the choir of another tUP law school in the country (Pun intended, or rather, forced). This is why since then, the ALS Choir has been practicing the vocalization of “One Big Fight!” in four-part harmony with the accompaniment of stadium drums.

The main event of the Choir’s Christmas activities is singing in Simbang Gabi. This year is the 4th year in a row that the Choir will be serving in the Church of the Gesu, and they hope to continue this tradition. For the Choir, it’s always an honor to be enlisted to sing in the Gesu, where some of the most amazing choirs also sing. Most importantly, it’s a blessing for them to be a part of a ministry that touches people’s hearts and shares the Good News of Christ’s birth through the gift of music.

For the Choir, these activities truly mean a busy, yet fulfilling and merry Christmas!